Gangster Ravi Pujari acquitted in Dawood Ibrahim gang member's 1999 murder

Mumbai, May 27 (PTI) A special court here on Tuesday acquitted gangster Ravi Pujari in a case related to the 1999 murder of an alleged member of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's gang.

Special judge A M Patil acquitted Anil Sharma in the case registered against him under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section for murder and relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

The reasoned order is yet to be made available.

Sharma, an alleged member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, was shot dead by gangster Chhota Rajan's men in suburban Andheri on September 2, 1999, the prosecution said.

Sharma was one of the chargesheeted accused in the shootout that had occurred on September 12, 1992 on the premises of J J Hospital in Mumbai, it said.

The said shootout was allegedly carried out by the Dawood Ibrahim gang members, and Sharma was out on bail in that case.

It is alleged by the prosecution that Sharma's murder was an outcome of the rivalry between gangs of Dawood and Rajan, and an act of organised crime syndicate.

Earlier, the court had acquitted 11 accused in the case citing lack of evidence.

Chhota Rajan, who had also been booked for his alleged role in the murder, was discharged from the case as prima facie there was no evidence available before the court to prove that Rajan was part of the conspiracy to commit Sharma's murder. PTI AVI NP